The number of motorcycle licenses has increased this summer, and there seems to be more inexperienced riders on the road.
High gas prices have boosted sales of motorcycles and mopeds. But the appeal of the open road and more miles per gallon is carrying a sobering statistic, KMBC’s Bev Chapman reported.
Ten percent of the people who died on Missouri highways last year were riding a motorcycle, state records show.
On Tuesday, two men on motorcycles were injured in a collision at Highways 291 and 58 in Cass County. The highway patrol said they were passing a line of cars and failed to see a truck making a left turn in front of them.
"Statistically, the highest accident rate is someone who learns from a relative, learns from a friend, or just tries to figure it out for themselves," said Claudia Mekins, who teaches motorcycle safety at Maple Woods Community College.
According to the Missouri Division of Motor Vehicles, there are about 9,000 more licensed motorcycle drivers in the state this year.
"I’ve had people say they never thought of riding a motorcycle before. They’re just doing it because of the gas," Mekins said.
But saving money means little if you are injured. Mekins said many of the people turning the keys on two-wheelers haven’t ridden since they were kids.
"When you’re 12, you bounce. When you’re 40, you don’t bounce. When you’re 12, you ride on dirt roads or in the back yard. When you’re 40, you’re on I-435. It’s serious," Mekins said.
There are several schools in the Kansas City area that offer motorcycle training classes.
In what concerns this vicious circle determined by the increasing gas price, everybody does what it knows best. Bush is trying to keep gas numbers down (only that it doesn’t have any positive results), yesterday’s car drivers become today’s riders and the most important task – protecting people’s lives – falls in the hands of motorcycle producers.
One of the most notorious Japanese builders, Honda, has recently come up with this first demonstrative video having the intention of pointing out a bike’s performance with and without the anti-lock-braking system.
So they develop tests on wet or covered in sand surfaces with excellent results and if you are more of a non-thruster, there are also parallel demonstrations which clearly point out the way to go when choosing your bike’s brake system.
Experienced riders often say that the ABS takes a good part of a bike’s character and they don’t feel like being assisted when braking. That’s their opinion. If you’re a beginner I say the ABS leaves the best chances you’ll get out of a tricky situation with no dust on your new motorcyclist costume.(You know I just tried to make a nicer formulation there and things can go a whole lot worst).
We are happy to see that authorities are reporting the continuously growing number of deaths on motorcycles and the fact that this is related to the reduced MPG on these kinds of vehicles. Also, they give advices of how you should choose the right bike to fit you and your needs, as well as the riding gear. Take the time and watch this video because it might save your life!
We all know how “imposing” a policeman on a scooter can be, but with the new T3 Mobile Defender from Lamperd Less Lethal we ca lose the quotation marks very easily.
At a first sight it doesn’t look very threatening for lawbreakers and even would make such subjects believe that it was probably invented to keep officers rested for when it comes to chase them on foot. Wrong! The chase won’t even be necessary as the small scooter comes equipped with a powerful air gun and (...) > Full story
